Liverpool vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Anfield sets the stage for a handsomely-looking Premier League encounter between Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Just days after overseeing a dramatic 3-2 win against Brighton in midweek EFL Cup action, Arne Slot faces the same opposition, looking to become the first Liverpool manager to win eight of his first ten top-flight games in charge (W7, D1, L1). Last weekend’s action-packed 2-2 draw at Arsenal saw the Reds surrender their place atop the Premier League table to perennial champions Manchester City and relinquish an eye-catching eight-game winning streak in all competitions. Hellbent on bouncing back, Liverpool take on Brighton, a team that’s been a thorn in their side for years. Indeed, before a 2-1 triumph in this corresponding fixture last term, the Merseyside giants had only won once in their eight previous H2Hs (D4, L3), suggesting they cannot underestimate their visitors.
However, these are challenging moments for Brighton. Before suffering a gut-wrenching cup elimination at the hands of Liverpool, the Seagulls threw away a two-goal cushion in a 2-2 home draw against rock-bottom Wolverhampton last weekend. Conceding twice beyond the 87th minute knocked Fabian Hurzeler’s side down from a two-game winning league run, leaving them two points off fourth-placed Aston Villa at the end of the round. But they’ve fared reasonably well outside East Sussex this season, suffering just one defeat on four Premier League travels (W2, D1). That’s inspiring ahead of their trip to Anfield, where they’ve only lost one of their last four top-flight clashes against Liverpool (W1, D2, L1).